Vermont Alumni Volunteer for Common Good Day

October 12, 2017 by Office of Alumni Relations

This past Sunday, October 8, ten Bowdoin alumni gathered at Upper Valley Haven, a nonprofit that helps struggling and homeless families in Vermont’s Upper Valley area, in service to the common good. Upper Valley Haven serves over 14,500 people every year by providing educational programs, shelter, clothing, or food from their on-site garden. It also coordinates with other organizations to help people transition out of homelessness into financial stability and permanent housing.

Laura Petto ’15, Frederick Orkin ’64, Don Lowry ’72, Susan Mansfield ’82, Folger Tuggle ’82, Isabelle Tuggle, Andrew Cushing ’12, Christopher Jayne ’13, Emma Cutler ’13, and Jared Feldman ’16 worked in the community house, a place for the kids living in the shelter and kids transitioning from the shelter to a new home. They deep cleaned and reorganized the kitchen and the craft room. They also decorated the house for Halloween to foster a sense of festivity and normalcy. Celebrating the holidays is crucial for making the Haven feel like home and distracting the kids from the difficulty of their financial situation.